Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. SIS 



pends on the greater or less condensation of the methyle, which may 

 be supposed to exist in both chloroforms. 



In this uncertainty the authors undertook analyses, the results of 

 which will be hereafter stated. The second hypothesis supposes the 

 identity of the chloroforms formed from alcohol or from jjyroxylic 

 spirit. The difference in this case would be derived from the pre- 

 sence of a foreign body. This opinion is the best founded. In fact, 

 the authors found, by endeavouring more perfectly to rectify methylic 

 chloroform on chloride of calcium, that the salt which remained in 

 the retort contained a quantity of a peculiar oil, easily separable by 

 washing with water : by repeated rectifications, 30 grammes of this 

 oil were obtained from 500 grammes of some commercial chloroforms. 



This new substance was liquid, and of an oily consistence. At 

 first yellowish, it became colourless by simple rectification. It had 

 a very peculiar and strong empyreumatic odour, which was recognized 

 as the cause of the peculiar odour of methylic chloroform ; it was 

 lighter than water ; submitted to distillation in a retort containing 

 a thermometer, it began to distil at 1 85° F. ; but this temperature 

 was so far from remaining fixed, that it rose to 244° F. At this 

 moment the operation was interrupted, because the thermometer, on 

 account of the small quantity of the remaining oil, did not dip into it. 



This increase of temperature during the distillation evidently de- 

 notes a mixture of various compounds. This heterogeneous oil 

 burnt readily with an intense sooty flame. The presence of chlorine 

 among the products of combustion showed that this body was a 

 constituent part of its elements. 



The chloroform, several times rectified for the production of this 

 oil, did not retain the slightest pyrogenous odour which characterizes 

 it. Some chemical reaction was then searched for, which, while it 

 would not react upon the chloroform, was capable of separating or 

 destroying the oil that it contains. After some trials, concentrated 

 sulphuric acid appeared to answer the purpose : it occasioned the 

 impure chloroform to assume a brownish-red colour, the intensity of 

 which was greater in proportion to the quantity of oil in the mix- 

 ture. When colour ceased to be produced in the chloroform, it no 

 longer retained the empyreumatic odour. 



The authors state that, without the fear of incurring any sensible 

 error, they were able to analyse the chloroform thus purified, and to 

 examine and compare its properties with those of normal chloroform. 

 The analyses, densities, in the liquid state and that of vapour, were 

 all found to be similar ; and satisfactory proof was obtained that 

 only one chloroform exists ; and that which is prepared from py- 

 roxylic spirit does not differ from that obtained from alcohol, when 

 all the oil above described has been separated. It must, however, 

 be admitted, that the complete separation of this oil was not effected ; 

 there still remained a very minute portion of it, so small as not to 

 affect the density or the results of analyses ; but it was distinguish- 

 able by its odour, which remained after the evaporation of a consi- 

 derable quantity of chloroform. It was peculiarly sensible in the 



